Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions
Volume 92, Issue 1 pp. 174-175
Valvular and Structural Heart Diseases

Patent foramen ovale closure for cryptogenic stroke: Effective, but only in select patients

Arka Chatterjee MD, 

Arka Chatterjee MD

Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

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William B. Hillegass MD, PhD, 

Corresponding Author

William B. Hillegass MD, PhD

Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

Correspondence William B. Hillegass, MD, PhD, Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Department of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1665 University Blvd # 327, Birmingham, AL 35294. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
First published: 02 August 2018
https://doi.org/10.1002/ccd.27700
Citations: 1

Key Points

  • PFO closure reduces risk of recurrent stroke in some patients with cryptogenic stroke, particularly younger patients <45 years with moderate or greater right to left shunting
  • Number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent one stroke at 5 years are 28 to 69 (95% confidence limits of 21 to 351) suggesting need for individualized risk stratification models
  • PFO closure may increase short- and possibly long-term risk of atrial flutter/fibrillation

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